


Timeless

by TenRoseForeverandever



Series: Domestic Bliss [7]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-31
Updated: 2014-07-31
Packaged: 2018-02-11 05:28:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2055423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TenRoseForeverandever/pseuds/TenRoseForeverandever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Christmas story. (Non-Canonical)<br/>Journey's End has taken place in a different way (no metacrisis; Donna found Lee at the Library; no Doctor-Donna)<br/>Rose has left her family in Pete's World to travel with the Doctor, but she finds herself having difficulty adjusting to her new life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Timeless

**Author's Note:**

> DECEMBER 2016: I decided to edit this fic; clean it up again and repost, but I couldn't bear to lose the comments and kind words. But, if anyone happens to stumble upon it, MERRY CHRISTMAS!
> 
> ORIGINAL NOTES: JULY 2014: I wrote this in time for last Christmas, long before I started posting here. Please consider it either a very late or a very early Christmas gift, if you celebrate! And simply a gift if you don't!:D  
> Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read my stories. As always, I hope you enjoy it.

**Timeless**

Rose sat in the open TARDIS doorway, kicking her feet pointlessly through open space. She paid no attention to the spectacular nebula before her. Instead she despondently fingered her mobile, a single tear trailing over her cheek.  With a crestfallen snarl, she stood up and violently thrust the phone into space, slamming the TARDIS’ door behind her with jarring force, shutting out the last traces of her old life.

Turning her back to the doors, she found herself face to face with the Doctor. His face was stern and disapproving. “Oi!” he admonished, “gentle with the Old Girl.”

“That’s rich, coming from you,” she grumbled, pushing past him.

“Hey!” She was stopped short when he snatched at her arm, pulling her to an unsteady halt, but his angry frown quickly changed to one of perplexed concern. “Is something the matter, Rose?”

“’S nothing. Doesn’t matter.”

“What d’ya say we go shopping, eh? That always cheers you up. And we could stop for chips. C’mon, Rose.” He gave her sleeve a few gentle tugs intended to encourage. “It’ll be fun…”

“Nah.”

“C’mon, c’mon … oh, oh, oh! I know!” He bounced on his toes, leaping in crazy circles around her. “We could catch ‘Nebula Goes Nova’ in concert. You _loved_ their music when we were trapped in the 46 th Century that time! Remember, Rose!”

“No. Doctor–”

“No? Or… oh, _yes_ , that’s _brilliant_!  If you’re not up for a concert (too noisy, anyway: wouldn’t want to damage your eardrums.) Did you know, Rose Tyler, human hearing can be permanently compromised at noise levels as low as–”

“Oh, leave me alone, Doctor!”

“But, Rose…” Even his hair seemed to droop in response to her blunt remonstration. “I just thought–”

“Why start now? You know what, just shut up, Doctor. For once, just _shut up_!” She felt tears prickle behind her eyes when he dejectedly stuffed his hands into his pockets, his lips moving in a hopeless attempt to find words. He turned away from her to fiddle forlornly with some knobs and buttons on the console. She could sense his distress, his misery, but she shoved it aside and stalked off down the hallway to her room, her foul mood heightened by the TARDIS’ tart, buzzing rebuke in her mind.  Only once she was flopped on top of her duvet, did she allow the tears of bitterness, loneliness, and guilt to wash down her face.

\--oOo--

_What the hell just happened_? he pondered.  _I should go after her, that’s what I should do… But she was so hostile, so bitter, and, well, dangerous really. Just gorgeous when she’s angry! But, weeell, it could be life-threatening to approach her… Better to leave her for now. She’ll be better after a kip, yeah. But why, why, why is she so angry?_ He ran his hand through his hair in exasperation, certain that it was his fault somehow. _I’m rather rubbish at this… this emotional stuff, and that’s saying something, that is! Brilliant me! Genius! Just not when it comes to Rose… well, not all the time. Around her, I feel like a typical human bloke– eeewwwgh, now_ that… that _is_ _disgusting! Need to stop thinking about that…_ _But being around her!_ That _is brilliant! Love her so very much, more than anything. Don’t think I could live without her. Not after..._

He paused in his mental ramble to think back on those three years without her: the constant heartache, the enduring emptiness. When they had first met, she had relieved him of his loneliness, mended his broken, war-torn soul. She had completed him.  No one else had ever done that. And then she had been torn away at the Battle of Canary Wharf. His only consolation had been that he knew that she had been safe with her family. _I’m never, ever going to let her out of my sight! Too jeopardy-friendly, that one. I don’t think I could survive if I lost her again_ , he admitted to himself.

The TARDIS hummed an encouragement in his mind, soothing him. “Don’t worry about me. Look after _her_ ,” he returned.

The time ship gave him a reprimanding little mental poke: _As if she would leave her cub alone._ But she made it abundantly clear that she thought the Doctor should be the primary provider of love and support to the human.

“I know. I know… I just don’t know what to do!” He tugged at his hair in frustration. “I don’t know what’s _wrong_. I can never get my head straight around her. And she’s different now… matured, hardened. I don’t want to muck it up. Weeell, probably mucking it up right now, but I want to do what’s right.  I just don’t know what that is. I wish she came with a manual, like you.”

Another acerbic communication from the Old Girl made him chuckle. “I know… I threw yours into that supernova. And, you’re right: I’d probably do the same with hers. But at least you had the decency to have one in the first place!”

The TARDIS nudged him to check outside her doors, giving him a clear image of Rose throwing something into space, and reassuring him that she was keeping the item from harm for the time being.

“Oh, did she throw her own manual away?” he chortled to himself fondly. “That infuriating little ape.” He opened the TARDIS doors, his face dropping in shock. “What? Her mobile? Oh, Rose, why would you throw your mobile away?”  He stretched out, snatching it from the extended forcefield. Cradling the phone carefully in his hands, he looked at the display: “Mum” it said. His hearts clenched spasmodically.  _I knew this would happen! I’ve taken her from her family, and now… She deserves a proper life. How can I ever make this right?_ He needed advice, and he knew exactly who it was who could give it to him.

\--oOo--

“Doctor! You called to say Merry Christmas! Rose has had a positive influence on you, then: Your manners are improving!”

“Erm… Merry… what?” He momentarily pulled the phone from his ear, and gave it an offended look, as though it was responsible for his confusion.

“You _dunce_! I should have known! Only _you_ would call at Christmas and not even know that it _was_ Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Donna.”

“Cheers! So how’s Rose doing? Awww, it must be lovely having her back. You waited so long. Oh the way you two looked at each other… so romantic. I bet the two of you are shagging yourselves silly all through that bloody time machine of yours.”

“Well… um…” He tugged defensively at his ear. “It _is_ brilliant to hug her again!”

“You mean to say, you waited _all – that – time_ to get her back and you’ve done nothing more than hug her? Seriously?”

“And hold her hand, Donna. Nothing quite like a hand to hold! You can go a long way in this universe if only you have the right hand to hold.”

“Are you even listening to yourself?”

“Oh, it’s back to the old life, Donna! It’s brilliant! The old team! Molto be-”

“Good Lord! Have you even told her?”

“Told her?”

“That you love her, Dumbo. Remember? Those three words that you always regretted not saying?”

“Weeeell…”

“God, you’re thick!” He could imagine her rolling her eyes.

“Oi! We’ve been busy, Donna, saving the universe, running. Remember all that running, Donna?”

“You have a bloody _time_ machine! And it’s _three – bloody – words_! It’s always the same old story with you isn’t it? You talk and you talk up a bloody storm, but you never really say anything.  Nothing that matters. Yeah, you’re running, alright, you coward: running away from the one person you need; the one person who needs _you_ more than anything.”  

“Donna–”

“She left her entire family just to be with _you_! (Don’t know what she ever saw in you, you skinny streak of nothing!) And you don’t even have the decency to tell her that you love her!”

There was an awkward silence. The Doctor felt tears trickling over his cheeks, just the way they had after speaking to Rose at Bad Wolf Bay, when he had wasted the precious time he had been given and lost his opportunity to say those three words. It had been Donna who snapped him back to reality that time, too. “I’m so sorry…” the words eventually stuttered out of his strangled throat.

“Not me you need to be saying that to, Spaceman.” Her voice had gentled.

“I know, I know.” He pulled his hand over his wet face. “But she tried to throw her mobile away, Donna. I’ve never seen her like this before. She’s… defeated somehow. She gave up everything… for _me_ , a broken old man. I’m all she has left.  But how can I ever give her the life she deserves, Donna? A proper life?” He paused, groaning, “And now I’ve gone and forgotten Christmas, too. She loves Christmas…”

“Oi!  It’s not over yet, Spaceman.”

“Donna, I can’t use the TARDIS for this. Rose likes to keep to her own timeline. She’ll never accept–”

“The day’s not over yet, Doctor. And the two of you will come and have a proper supper with me and Lee. It’s our first Christmas dinner together as a married couple, and we’re hosting! Granddad and Mum will be there, too. They’ll love to see you… at least Granddad will. And they’ll both love to see Rose, again.”

“No, Donna. You know I don’t do that sort of thing. Domestics.”

“Well, whatever you may or may not do, Rose certainly does. Stop being such a selfish prat and think about _her_ feelings for a change.”

He brooded in silence. _All I’ve been thinking about, actually_ , he pouted to himself.

“Seven pm.”

_Weeeell, I suppose I haven’t exactly been thinking about how to_ fix _things_ , he admitted. _Just spent all this time feeling sorry for the two of us_.

“Doctor, are you still there?”

“Yeah, Donna, yeah.  Just thinking.”

“Well, think _hard_ , Doctor. And I’ll see you and Rose later.”

The Doctor’s face suddenly brightened, inspiration flooding through him. “Yes, Donna, yes you will!”

“That’s more like it, Spaceman!”

“Oh, yes, Donna! Oh yes! I have a plan.” He grimaced suddenly. “Just one thing, Donna…”

“What’s that?”

“Just promise me: no killer Christmas trees, exploding baubles, or robot Santas.”

She laughed. “Oi, Trouble, with you around, no guarantees. But, I’ll do my best. I better see you later or there’ll be hell to pay.”

He hung up the phone, and with a manic grin spreading from ear to ear, he sent the TARDIS spinning into the vortex.

\--oOo--

Rose awoke where she had collapsed onto her bed, shivering violently. Her breath misted up into the air before her. “Hey Old Girl, you need to check your temperature settings,” she murmured groggily. “Has he been tinkering with your environmental sensors again?”  At the mention of the Doctor, her thoughts snapped back suddenly to their confrontation in the console room. _Urrgggh_ , she groaned inwardly. She felt the hot burn of tears in her eyes as she recalled the devastated expression on his face, his mute response to her heartless, cruel remarks. _Oh, Doctor, you didn’t deserve that. Guess I was just so frustrated and angry at me._ She shook her head at her inattention to the passage of time: _I just can’t believe that I didn’t realize that it’s already Christmas time. I’ve gone and missed it. And I can’t even call Mum, or talk to Tony. He must be getting so big now..._

She sighed, and stood up wiping her cheeks. Walking to her wardrobe, she pulled on a thick, woolly sweater over her t-shirt. After a brief moment’s consideration, she decided to add a cozy scarf, and a pair of warm mittens to complete the ensemble. She knew the Doctor well enough not to be optimistic about his ability to make repairs to the TARDIS with any great speed. _Better safe than sorry_ , she thought. _If I’ve learned one thing travelling with the Doctor, it’s to be prepared for just about anything!_

Rose left her room to find the Doctor and apologise for her earlier outburst. She headed in the direction of the console room, presuming that that was the place she would find him if he was making repairs. Despite her confidence in her ability to anticipate her needs for most situations involving the Doctor, nothing could quite have prepared her for what she found upon entering the console room.

She gasped at the sight before her eyes: the room, itself, seemed to have grown to colossal proportions, but most staggering of all was the visual transformation that had taken place. In place of the console and central column was an enormous Christmas tree, completely covered in shining ornaments and sparkling fairy lights. Real snow wafted down from the ceiling, settling in little drifts over the floor and on the branches of the tree. A cheerful, rhythmic ringing of jingle bells filled her ears, as from around the other side of the tree two real reindeer appeared, decked out in crimson velvet harnesses and pulling an exquisite red and gold sleigh. Sitting in the seat of the sleigh was none other than the Doctor, himself, wearing a ridiculous set of red antlers and a glowing round, red clown nose. A strange, green clump of some kind extended on a wire from the middle of the antlers to just beyond his face. She laughed aloud at the sight, and flashed him her very best tongue-touched grin.

“Rose Tyler!” he shouted merrily, eyes twinkling with mirth. “Merry Christmas!” He drove the sleigh up next to her, stood up, and extended his hand to help her in.  She took the proffered hand with a little giggle and practically bounced up into the sleigh. “You’ve dressed for the weather! That’s my girl!” the Doctor exclaimed. “But, you’ll be needing this…”

Without any further warning, Rose felt a fluffy Santa hat being stuffed over her head. With a good-natured grumble, she shoved it out of her eyes. “You could give a girl a warning, Doctor,” she chided with a smile.  “Oh no, Doctor!” she gulped in dismay at the hurt expression that darkened his features. “I’m not angry. It’s… well, it’s beautiful! I could never imagine a better Christmas gift, really.”

He just stared at her in his slightly alien way, his face now expressionless and unreadable. She took the awkward silence as an opportunity to speak the words of apology that she had been rehearsing in her mind since she awoke from her nap. “I’m so sorry, Doctor.” She took his hand, squeezing it gently through her mitten. “I shouldn’t have been angry at you. This life is what I said I wanted…” She winced at her choice of words and corrected herself. “What I _do_ want. Forever. I… well, I guess it’s just taking me a little longer to adjust than I expected. I forgot how timeless it is on the TARDIS. It caught me by surprise, is all, when I realized how much time had passed and I started thinking about my family and how I’ll never see them, and how I really have no one here, in this universe… Oh, God, I’ve stuck my foot in it again…” She ducked her head to hide the tears of shame that flowed freely down her cheeks.

“I can’t take you back, Rose, I’m sorry. You’re stuck here, in this universe now. But I can help get you started with a new life. You’re so wonderful, Rose. You’ll have no trouble meeting new people; maybe you’ll even find someone you want to spend the rest of your life with.”

She raised her eyes to his, confused. “What the hell are you on about?”

He yanked off the glowing nose in frustration. “Making you happy, Rose. Obviously, I can’t give you the kind of life you need, so I thought…”

“No, oh no! Oh, my Doctor, no!” She stepped closer to him, cupping his cheek with her mittened hand, stroking his sideburn with her thumb. “I can’t imagine living any other way. I promised you forever, and I meant it.”

“I’m not holding you to your promise, Rose.” She could hear the pain in his voice despite his obvious attempt to supress his emotions.

“Doctor, listen to me, please!” She felt panic swoop through her, but held his gaze. “I… I _love_ this life! I… well, I… love _you_ ,” she stammered out, “so very much!” When she heard his sharp intake of breath, she brought her other woolly hand up to stroke his other cheek. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ve found the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, and he’s standing right in front of me.”

He swallowed thickly, Adam’s apple bobbing. “Rose, I’m so sorry. I’m… weeeell, I _am_ brilliant, you know…”

“I know, Doctor: bigger on the inside brain.”

“Well, yes… but my point is Rose, that although I give the impression of infallibility… I, uh, weeeell, I have made some mistakes in the past.”

“No kidding…”

“No, really, Rose. And I get frightened, too…” He continued when she nodded her support, hiding her loving amusement from him. “Frightened that if I say what I’m feeling or act on my feelings that… weeeell, Rose, that…”

“Go on, Doctor.”

“…that I’ll run out of time again or I’ll lose you. I would go insane if that happened again, Rose.”

“I understand, Doctor. You don’t need to say anything. Or do anything extra. Nothing wrong with going on as we are, yeah. The old team: Hope and Glory…”

“…Mutt and Jeff…”

“…Shiver and Shake…”

“I’m Shake!  And you, Rose Tyler, are shivering. C’m ‘ere. Sit down.” He took her hands from his face, and she could feel his love for her surge through the soft fabric of her mittens. He tugged her gently to sit in the seat of the sleigh, and once he was seated beside her, he reached behind them, and with a flourish covered their legs with a fleecy throw. His arm slipped behind her shoulders, pulling her close to him. Releasing her breath, she laid her head on his shoulder, just enjoying his presence, and the lovely Christmas scenery that he and the TARDIS had created. How could she ask for more than this?

They sat in companionable silence for several minutes, when his voice suddenly broke into her thoughts, “Rose…”

“Mmmmmm?”

“You deserve better than this…”

_Oh, God, what now?_ She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted when he started speaking again.

“…and, I suppose, if you promised me forever, then it is my responsibility to make sure that you have the best forever ever.”

“You make it sound like a chore,” she whispered, the warmth in her heart turning rapidly to aching sorrow.

“A _chore_? No! No, no, no, no! Me and my stupid gob! No, Rose, I only meant that I don’t want you to regret this life. Rose Tyler, I love you, and I want to spend my forever with you too, as much of it as I can.”

Rose gaped. “What d’you jus’ say?”

He beamed. “Rose Tyler, I love you… forever.” Rose felt her cheeks flush as he repeated his words. Her heart thundered as he leaned in toward her. “You see this, Rose?” He pointed up to the green tuft extending from the band that held the antlers and now hung in the space between them.

“Yeah, I wondered. What the hell is that?”

“This, Rose, is mistletoe. I take it you remember the significance of mistletoe at Christmas time, Rose?”

She nodded mutely. Her shocked silence continued as he lowered his lips to hers, pressing a soft, pillowy kiss to her half-open mouth. She released a little moan of pleasure in response and began to return the kiss with fervour. It was many minutes later that they pulled away from their embrace, heavy breaths misting in the icy air, and cheeks flushed with desire.  “God, Doctor, you need to wear that mistletoe more often.”

“Ah, that would be a little inconvenient, eh, Rose? Don’t you think we could just dispense with the mistletoe, and, I don’t know… agree to snog whenever the mood strikes us?”

“Yep! I don’t see any problem with that plan.”

“Brilliant me!”

“Mmmm hmmm! Now, since the mood has struck me, how about you snog me again and then you can show me how well you fly this sleigh? I trust that the reindeer _can_ actually fly?”

“Oh, yes!”

“The snog or the reindeer?”

“Both,” he whispered, as he ran his tongue along her lower lip, causing her to whimper in delight.

\--oOo--

The Doctor careened the sleigh around the Christmas tree, flying it high up through the frosty air. The TARDIS extended herself even further and soon they were flying through the illusion of a star-lit winter sky. Rose whooped loudly in pure joy, urging him to go faster yet. “Doctor! This is beautiful! Gorgeous!” He couldn’t tear his eyes from her: eyes glowing; cheeks rosy from the cold; golden hair whipping around her face from under the Santa hat. He tied off the reins, allowing the reindeer to fly unguided.

“Rose, I have a gift for you.”

She went quiet, and he felt his hearts skip at the look in her eyes. “But, all of this, Doctor. This was gift enough. And the mistletoe…” She gave him a shy smile.

He reached into his coat pocket and produced a small rectangular package, wrapped in TARDIS-blue paper, embossed with silver snowflakes. He handed it to her, and watched as she took off her mittens and carefully unwrapped the gift, not wanting to miss any part of her reaction.  “A new mobile?” She glanced at him, chagrinned, and cast her eyes to the ground.

“The TARDIS told me where to find your old one, Rose. She kept it safe, just in case you decided you wanted it.” He brushed the hair from her cheek in a comforting gesture, and placed a finger under her chin to bring her eyes to meet his again. “But this one has some brand new features.”

“New features?”

“Weeeell, it isn’t exactly a mobile. Well, it is, but it’s 53rd Century technology, Rose: much more powerful. Much more than a mobile, and that was even before I enhanced it.”

“Yeah and…”

“It _should_ be able to contact someone in another universe…” He paused at her hopeful gasp, and kept his countenance serious as he continued to explain, “But–”

“How did I know there would be a ‘but’,” she huffed, folding her arms across her chest. He watched quietly as her perturbed features collapsed into an expression of shame. “God, I sound like a spoiled child. I’m sorry, Doctor.”

“Rose, I understand. I do. I know how it feels to be… alone.”

“I know, I just forgot. I went and forgot everything you’ve been through: your people; the last three years… everything.” She hummed under her breath. “I feel so selfish.”

He smiled. “Oh, I think it’s okay to be self-absorbed every so often, love.” He marvelled at how comfortable the endearment felt on his tongue, as though it had always belonged there. She snuggled into his arms, and he luxuriated in the blissful sensation of her head on his chest, and her fingers idly tracing the swirly patterns on his tie.

“So tell me about this amazing device.”

“There are still infinitesimal cracks between this universe and the one where your Mum is. Tiny cracks, Rose. But if we were to push too hard–”

“–the two universes would collapse, right?”

“Yes, but I think we could get a tiny little transmission through, every so often.”

“Really?”

“Yup!  But at most, once a year or so. Or else those cracks will just get bigger. This way, they’ll have time to heal a bit between times.”

“Oh, but that’s so much better than nothing, Doctor! So much!” She raised her head, her eyes sparkling joyously in the starlight. Then they suddenly dimmed, turning dark and angry. She swatted him hard on the chest.

“Oi! What was _that_ for?”

“You knew about this technology and you never tried to contact me?” she accused.

He nodded. “Don’t think I wasn’t tempted. I wanted to, so very much. But, I didn’t know that I would ever get you back, Rose. I wanted you to have a fantastic life, to move on. I wanted you to be able to let me go. I think that would have been very difficult if you were expecting a call from me every year.”

“You think you’re so impressive.”

He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the resigned agreement in her tone.

“How could you ever have resisted, Rose?” He waggled his eyebrows impudently.

“I don’t know that I can, even now,” she answered with a wicked little smirk, reaching up to pull him in for a passionate kiss.

He pulled away. “Wait, don’t you want to call Jackie? For Christmas?”

“Reckon she can wait a little longer, Doctor. After all, this is my first Christmas with you in this new life.” Her seductive gaze burned into him despite the cold wind rushing past as the sleigh tumbled recklessly through the air. “I want this Christmas to be full of firsts for us.” He felt his respiratory bypass kick in when she pulled herself up to straddle his lap, and ran her fingers through his hair.

“Brilliant!” he squeaked. _It was a very manly squeak_ , he reassured himself. Then, suddenly, panic set in that had nothing to do with Rose’s advances. “Oh, no! Donna! Gimme the phone, Rose, quick! Donna is expecting us for Christmas dinner, and I’ve said we’d go, but she’ll kill me if we’re late. My head on the Christmas platter instead of the turkey!”

She giggled and passed him the phone. “Be quick,” she hissed into his ear as she began to loosen his tie and place tiny wet kisses down his neck.

He activated Donna’s number, thankful that he had added it to Rose’s contact list earlier.

“Oi, where the hell are you?” Donna’s abrupt reprimand was a jarring contrast to Rose’s soft breath on his neck.

“Rose, love, gimme a mo’… Just running a little late, Donna. Sorry.”

“Oh, I can hear that, Spaceman! Shagging yourselves silly?” She laughed uproariously.

“Errrrmmm… things would seem to be trending in that general direction…” He tried to keep his voice steady as Rose began to unbutton his shirt.

“We’ll keep supper warm for you, Doctor. Don’t you _dare_ muck this up!” Her voice took on a tone that warned of dangerous repercussions should he not follow her orders to the letter.

Without another word, he hung up, and tossed the mobile carelessly on the sleigh seat. “A little cold for this, don’t you think, Rose? And precarious. We could take the sleigh back down and I could reset the environmental controls before…”

“Oh, I like the flying sleigh, Doctor,” she said in a voice that caused him to whimper in anticipation. “Besides, I think that the TARDIS is more than capable of making the necessary adjustments to the environmental controls all by herself, aren’t you, Old Girl?”

With a self-satisfied hum, the time ship responded by immediately warming the air so that it was balmy and gentle on their faces.

“I think you’re overdressed for the weather, love,” the Doctor murmured into Rose’s ear.

\--oOo--

Much later, after they had landed the sleigh and were getting ready for Christmas dinner, the Doctor was struck with a brainwave of truly extraordinary proportions, ( _even for him_ , he thought.) “We could make this a Christmas tradition, eh Rose? The sleigh, the Christmas tree, the… um, you know…”

“The sex?”

_She shouldn’t be allowed to smile like that,_ he thought inwardly. _It does all kinds of things to me that even my superior Time Lord physiology can’t control_. “Yep, that! What do you think?” He grinned cheekily at her.

“A tradition? That’s very domestic of you, Doctor,” Rose commented as she rose on her tiptoes to press a sensual kiss to his waiting lips.

“Oh, being domestic with you Rose Tyler,” he enfolded her in his arms, “ _that’s_ a tradition I want to keep celebrating forever.”

 


End file.
